Truck-race demo boasts car racers

The second demonstration event run by the Super Truck Racing Assn. of North America (STRANA), held on Sept 21-22 at the Laguna Seca track in Salinas, CA, boasted auto-racing pros Jan Magnussen of the LeMans Series and Boris Said of the TransAm Series taking their turn at the wheel of a STRANA purpose-built, 1,260-hp twin turbo diesel racing trucks. The two sports car drivers, along with STRANA racer

The second demonstration event run by the Super Truck Racing Assn. of North America (STRANA), held on Sept 21-22 at the Laguna Seca track in Salinas, CA, boasted auto-racing pros Jan Magnussen of the LeMans Series and Boris Said of the TransAm Series taking their turn at the wheel of a STRANA purpose-built, 1,260-hp twin turbo diesel racing trucks.

The two sports car drivers, along with STRANA racer Mike Ryan, turned laps over the 2.2-mile, 11-turn road course in times comparable to those run by stock cars before tens of thousands of race fans, according to STRANA.

“It’s a lot different from anything I’ve ever raced, but it’s so much fun,” said Magnussen, who drives a Panoz LMP01. “It has so much power. I hope to race one some day.”

Said, who drives the ACS Express Ford Mustang, said he could not believe “the amount of torque that thing has. This is something I would love to race.”

According to STRANA executive director Brian Till, the exhibition was designed to whet the appetite of race organizers, fans and raceway officials for the Super Truck series under development.